Where April Goes, Spike Follows
by Spinjitzugirl6310
Summary: 2012 AU! Sarah (Spike) Sanchez gets worried when April O'Neil goes missing. A simple mission to try to find her friend drags the two girls into a crazy bunch of adventures when they meet four Adolescent Genetically Altered Shinobi Terrapins, and their rat master. Read the hidden files of Spike Sanchez, April O'Neil, and their tale of turtles and things that go bump in the night.
1. Chapter 1

Where April O'Neil goes, Sarah (Spike) Sanchez follows.

It's been that way since preschool, when Sarah helped haul April up after she had fallen.

It'd been that way since first grade, when April had lost her mother, and Spike (then Sarah) had comforted her. That's when Sarah had started getting protective of April.

It'd been like that since second grade, when Sarah's parents and two younger sisters had died in a car accident, and April sat with her, trying to ease the cold emptiness that filled Sarah. April had brought tissues to the funeral, where April had cried, and Sarah remained stone faced and dry-eyed. Stone faced and dry eyed is how she remained up through third grade and beyond. That's when she started going by Spike, and started taking junior sports.

By fourth grade, April's red hair, blue eyes, and pretty smile had set her up as one of the prettiest girls in class. Spike's light brown hair, blue-gray eyes, and solid frame had moved her to bottom level.

In fifth grade, Spike started taking martial arts classes, and about a million other things, while April did the drama club.

In sixth grade, Spike started working out, and April became 'popular.'

So it progressed. Spike became known as the toughest girl in school, and April was 'sweet.' No one understood why they hung out together.

Number one: April is loyal to her friends.

Number two: April is Spike's only friend.

Which is why, when April was fifteen and Spike was sixteen, Spike noticed when April didn't show up at their rendezvous point, and knew something was up.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike Sanchez is on a mission. Grasping her Taser in her right hand, she slips through the shrubbery up towards an abandoned building. She takes note of the guards, counting carefully before noticing that these guards all look exactly the same, except for one man.

She frowns, pauses. She hears something.

A van comes hurtling up the driveway and slams into the side of the building. Spike's eyes widen as she dives.

There is an explosion.

But wait! Let's backtrack and explain for a minute.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike's short, brawny (especially for a girl), form marches down the sidewalks of New York City, looking at her cell phone with a frown. "She's not picking up," she mutters darkly.

She pulls the sleeve of her sweatshirt up, checking her watch.

She dials again.

This time, April picks up, and she sounds hurried and frantic. "Spike? Thank goodness! I need help, my Dad and I have been taken by these weird guys. We're in a warehouse or something, uh...I don't know where. Get help!"

"April," Spike starts. "I-"

The line is cut off.

Spike stares at her phone with wide eyes. She hooks up to April's phone and tracks it, waiting for the results to load.

There.

The little blinking dot reveals April's location.

Spike starts running, weaving in between pedestrians, eyes half on the phone.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

That leads us back to here, with Spike creeping through the bushes, watching as a canister full of green liquid breaks and sloshes over the one man that looked different. She can't see well in the dark, but she can see enough.

His body starts changing, things sprouting, and changing color. Spike stares in horror before ripping her gaze away. She turns and runs, swiftly and silently, heading to the wall as the identical men check out the van.

Spike shakes her head.

_This is too weird._

Spike stops near a tree and takes a breath, before swinging herself up and into the tree.

The plan is to drop down over the wall, and it seems to be working well so far.

She clambers out onto a branch before dropping on top of the wall and surveying the area she just cleared.

_Oh April, what have you gotten yourself into?_


	2. Chapter 2

Spike turns to look ahead, at the roof. She sighs and starts walking, keeping watch for any more of the identical men.

She doesn't pay attention to where she's going, and therefore falls through where there was a grate, but now is an empty hole, stifling a cry. She lands on her back, and rolls to her feet, and looks around.

Number one: Why was that even open?

Number two: there are bodies of those identical people lying around.

Conclusion: Someone has either been here before, or is there now.

Spike draws the Taser and examines the walls of the hallway.

It's bright, blindingly so, with bright, silver, black and white walls and pink highlights. It all seems….alien. Spike creeps down the hallway, with her back pressed against the wall, carefully scouting the area ahead.

Spike freezes.

She hears voices.

Peering around the corner, she spots something completely unbelievable.

Four green forms, with shells, stand with their backs to her. Humanoid, bipedal, whatever word you want to describe them with.

Spike frowns. _Are they aliens?_

"Wow, this is unbelievable," the tallest remarks.

_They speak English?!_

"They're using a metal alloy that I don't even recognize!" he continues.

Spike notices the weapons slung at their belts and straps.

_Maybe I'm having a nightmare?_

"Gosh, a metal alloy even _you_ don't know about? It boggles the mind," one of the others comments. This one has darker skin than the first, and is quite a bit shorter.

Around this time Spike notes the different colored masks each has, like Robin's from the Batman series. Except you can see these…whatever they are…eyes.

Spike frowns.

"Dude, you wanna talk metal energy with me? Bring it," the tallest shoots back. Spike notices the purple mask on him, and the red mask on the smaller one.

"I don't. But-"

"Guys," another one says, with darker skin and a blue mask. "What part of being in an enemy lair do you not understand?"

Spike's eyes zero in on the swords he carries as she processes the words. _They're the enemies of these….clones?_

That's when she realizes that there are only three of the….possible aliens ahead. The fourth is gone. Spike's blood runs cold as she turns around.

There, a few inches away and an few inches shorter, stands a light green, freckled, orange masked, nunchuck bearing….thing.

"Hi," he whispers. "Watcha doin' here?"

Spike aims the Taser slowly. "What are you?"

"Dude, harsh. I'm a turtle!"

Spike's eyes shoot open. "What?"

"Yeah. We're sort of mutants. And ninjas. And teenagers," the turtle shrugs. He sticks out a big, three fingered hand. "My name's Michelangelo!"

Spike slowly reaches her empty hand forward and grasps the three fingers in her own and gives it a quick shake before withdrawing her hand. "What are you doing here…Michelangelo?"

"We're here to rescue a girl," the turtle explains. "And her dad." He smiles. "You used my name!"

Spike nods, all the blood out of her face by now, she's sure.

"April?"

"I don't know. MAY-be!" he giggles. "Get it?"

"Hilarious," she remarks.

"Hey, if you're here to save her too, you gotta meet the guys!" he declares. He grabs her wrist and starts pulling.

Spike's brain shuts down for a minute and allows herself to be drug forward by this…talking turtle.

He stops pulling and steps back proudly.

Spike looks up.


	3. Chapter 3

Spike looks up.

The blue masked turtle stares downward. "Uh, Mikey? Who is this?"

"Don't know! But she's trying to help that girl too!" Michelangelo pats her. "Right?"

She nods wordlessly. Michelangelo points at the blue masked turtle. "That's my oldest brother, Leonardo." He points at the red masked one. "That's my second oldest brother, Raphael!"

Said turtle crosses his arms and glares at his younger brother. "Dude, don't tell her our names!"

Michelangelo proceeds to ignore him. He points at the tallest. "That's Donatello, third oldest!"

"You're all-"

"Mutants?" Raphael interrupts sourly.

"-named after Italian artists," Spike finishes, shooting the red masked turtle a glare.

"Yes," Donatello nods slowly.

"Now, what's your name?" Michelangelo asks eagerly.

Spike crosses her strong arms over her chest. "Spike."

Raphael starts.

"Whats the matter?" she asks. "That a bad thing?"

"He's got a pet turtle named Spike," Michelangelo explains. "That's so cool!" He wraps his arms around her shoulders. Spike freezes. "And isn't that a funny name for a girl?"

Spike shrugs, unwinding his arms from around her. "Probably. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a friend to rescue." She starts to walk before a green arm blocks her way. She sighs.

"Hey," Michelangelo says. "If we're doing the same thing, maybe we can work together!" He looks pleadingly at Leonardo. "Please?"

Leonardo sighs. "I guess she can help."

"Great!" Michelangelo grins.

Spike nods grimly. "Whatever. Let's just get going."

**_~Where April Goes~_**

The five of them sneak along the hallway. Michelangelo is in front and he stops short and points.  
>There are blue and silver androids at the end of the hallway, holding guns and conversing with each other. Spike leans forward to get a better look.<p>

At each droid's middle, there is a pink, squishy thing with a face that looks suspiciously like a brain.

"Woah," Donatello says in shock. "Alien robots!"

Spike's head snaps around to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Alien robots, hmm?" Michelangelo is talking now, with an edge of sarcasm. "Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, I've been saying it for HOURS!" he shouts.

Spike grits her teeth as the droids turn in their direction.

_Great,_ she thinks. _Just great._

**_~Where April Goes~_**

The droids start firing and the group splits, charging the droids. Spike raises her Taser and stares at it.

_Don't fail me now,_ she thinks, aiming carefully at the brain and firing.

The droid goes down.

Spike stands, observing the fight before swinging her leg into the brain of the nearby robot that was taking aim at Leonardo.

The droid staggers before Spike punches the brain again. The droid goes down. Spike picks up the discarded gun and examines it for a minute, trying to figure out how it works. She lifts it and starts firing, taking care not to hit the turtles.

Together, they take down the droids. One of the remaining bodies shakes, and the brain pops out, eyes wide open, mouth open, revealing pointed teeth.

Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael holler.

"It's got tentacles?" Spike asks shakily. She raises the gun again before Michelangelo whacks it with his nunchucks and picks up the brain by its said tentacles.

"See? See, it's a brain thing! I told you! I told you, but did any of you believe me? No! Cause you all think I'm some kind of bonehead!" Michelangelo cries.

The brain regains consciousness and bites Michelangelo's arm. Michelangelo shouts in pain and flings it towards the wall, where it smacks into a button.

Alarms start blaring.

"Mikey!" Spike's strange new allies shout at the younger turtle.

"Okay! But I was still right about the brain thing! You gotta give me that!"

Spike is staring down the hallway, color draining from her face.

"We got company," she murmurs.


	4. Chapter 4

By company, Spike means about one million alien robots just took note of their presence.

Spike tries to shove down the sudden desire to strangle Michelangelo.

"Let's move," Leonardo says.

"Move where?" Raphael asks.

To be honest, that's sort of what Spike is thinking.

Donatello examines the ceiling. "I think those are power conduits!"

"Oh, that's really interesting! Thanks for sharing, Donnie!" Raphael's voice drips with sarcasm.

"Meathead, the conduits are all converging that way," Donatello points. "Which means whatever's going on in that direction is IMPORTANT!"

Spike's eyes follow the conduits. "You don't think that's where they're holdin' April, do ya?"

"Don't know, but it's worth checking out," Leonardo says, following Donatello. Spike starts after them without a backward glance, ignoring Michelangelo's smug comment to his brother and his cries of pain, and pleading.

Spike's eyes roll to the top of her head. At this rate, she may never get April out of this place.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

As they run down the hallway full of closed doors with little windows in the top, Donatello stops and peers into one.

"We found them!" he cries. Spike bolts over and looks in.

"April!" she mutters.

She hears that funny sound of the alien robot guns. Spike turns and hoists the gun she took off of a droid as the robots run around the corner.

"We'll hold them off," Leonardo says, drawing his swords. "You pick the lock," he instructs Donatello.

Spike aims and opens fire as the three turtles charge, trying not to hit them.

She listens to Donatello try to reassure April.

"Don't worry, I'll have you out of there in a second!"

"Okay..giant…lizard thing," April says warily.

"Turtle, actually. I'm Donatello."

"April," April introduces herself.

"Wow, that's a pretty-"

Spike spins around. "Bust them out of there, Donatello!"

"Is that Spike?" April's voice cries. "She's here?"

"Uh, yeah," Donatello answers, kneeling to take the cover off of the lock.

Michelangelo flies through the air and slams into a bunch of robots as Spike carefully shoots around him.

"I don't mean to rush you but…could you hurry up?" April asks.

"Hey, you think it's easy trying to pick a lock with these hands?" Donatello waves his three fingered hands. Each finger is at least as thick as two of Spike's.

"Sorry," April says.

Spike fires off another round.

Raphael stomps over. "Oh for the love of- get out of the way." Raphael shoves Donatello to the side and stabs the lock repeatedly with his…sais.

"I gotta admit," Spike shoots down another droid. "I like your style."

"Yeah, thanks," Raphael mutters, stabbing one more time.

The door slides open, to reveal the door open on the other side. April and her father are being led away by more robots, April being carried. April is screaming.

"Oh for cryin' out loud," Spike shouts. "April!"

She runs after her, gun held high.

Spike is vaguely aware of the others behind her. It becomes more real when she bursts out of the double doors, followed by the others. Raphael is the last one out.

"Get the doors!" Leonardo cries. Raphael turns, tries to close them. A robot's head and arm is sticking out, reaching. Raphael grabs its arm, brings his elbow down on it, yanks the arm off, and kicks the head back into the room.

He slides the arm in the handles to bolt the door.

Spike gapes as Raphael turns back around.

"That'll hold 'em," Raphael comments.

The others continue to stare.

"What?"

"You are seriously twisted," Leonardo remarks.

"Thanks!" Raphael replies.

Spike shakes her head. "Nice moves. Now let's go!"


	5. Chapter 5

April's screams are still echoing back to Spike as she searches for her. There!

On the roof of the building, she and her father are being led.

"Get them," Leonardo orders.

Spike is already moving, when something stops her. She stares upward.

Big, green, and plantlike, but strangely humanoid, a monster stares downward. As a matter of fact, it kind of looks like a weed, and it's vines and 'hands' remind her of something…

"The monster!" she whispers. The thing the man had been turning into! It was this horrendous thing!

She backs up a few steps as the turtles screech to a halt around her.

"Uh-oh," Michelangelo says.

Spike gulps.

Uh oh is right.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

The huge sentient weed reared back and leaned forward, yellow eyes angry.

"You did this to me!" it accused. "Now you're going to pay!"

"It can talk?" Spike asks somewhere between curiosity and horror.

"It's Snake!" Leonardo cries. "He mutated into a giant…weed!"

The weed shrieked and roared, snapping its Venus Flytrap like claws.

"That's weird. You'd think he'd get mutated into a snake," Michelangelo muses.

"Yeah, you would. If you were an IDIOT," Raphael snaps.

"But his name is SNAKE," Michelangelo points out.

"So?" Raphael asks.

"You don't understand science," Michelangelo states.

"Uh, maybe YOU don't," Spike comments. "And anyway, stop arguing!" She points. "LOOK!"

The weed's stalk turns out to be legs that split apart and take a step towards them menacingly.

"I'll crush you, turtles!" it bellows. Its eyes flickered to Spike. "And human," it adds.

"Would it help if we said it was an accident?" Donatello asks hopefully.

"Hey, I never met you," Spike protests.

The weed's response is to roar and snap its claws.

"So, I'll put you down for a no?" Donatello asks, grasping his staff.

It whips a vine at them. Spike leaps forward, over the vine, and turns as the others dodge it in similar ways.

Spike looks up as it prepares to strike again, all the while thinking about April.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Leonardo jumps first, sword drawn, and slashes at a vine. It breaks, and it oozes pink…blood?

Spike's eyes widen as she jumps back.

Michelangelo scoots backward on his bottom. "Ew! Eeww! Don't let it touch me! Don't let it-AH it touched me!" He screams and points at his leg.

The weed grows its vine back. "What? That's just…" Spike's voice trails off as the weed smiles and snaps its claws again.

"It grew back?" Donatello's voice is shocked. "No fair!"

Spike's attention is drawn to the helicopter starting up a while off. She stares as April is shoved inside, next to her father. She's torn.

Fight this weed, or rescue April?

What would YOU do?


	6. Chapter 6

"Donnie, go!" Leonardo shouts. Donatello nods, and starts running. Leonardo makes a stirrup for him out of his hands and Donatello jumps into it. Leonardo flings him.

Spike considers going with him, but is distracted by another sweep of the vines of the weed creature.

Leonardo and Michelangelo keep cutting parts of the vines off, but after spurting some blood, they grow right back!

Raphael charges in between the creature's legs, arms outstretched, attempting to pull it over, getting two handfuls of blood. Or whatever that is.

He shakes it off. "And…yuck." He turns slightly, unperturbed at the creature's bellowing a foot away. It snaps a vine at him, which he grabs, and attempts to drag it down. Spike grabs another vine and pulls.

It bends, Raphael steps on its head and jumps. The weed wraps another vine around him and whips him at his brothers, before turning to Spike. Spike's blue-gray eyes widen and she scrambles up its leg, grabbing ahold of its arm as Michelangelo's voice rings out.

"Snakeweed is really powerful!"

Spike sees the vine coming but doesn't react fast enough and she goes sailing over the turtles' heads, before climbing to her feet again.

"Ouch."

"Snakeweed?" Raphael asks incredulously.

"Well yeah! His name was Snake, and now he's a weed, so-"

"We get it," Raphael growls.

Spike joins them. "What do we do?"

Raphael turns. "YOU can get out of here before you get hurt."

Spike shakes her head, light brown hair bouncing in the ponytail. "No way. I came here to get April, and I'm not leaving until I have her back. That means I have to wait for….Donatello?"

Michelangelo nods.

"To get her back," she finishes. She turns away and faces 'Snakeweed' again. "So what's the plan, Blue?"

"Leonardo," he corrects. "We just need to hold it off until Donnie gets back."

Spike shrugs. "Easier said than done, but okay."

Noise behind them makes them turn.

More robots.

"While not getting shot by alien robots," Leonardo adds.

"With brains!" Michelangelo puts in.

"Let it go, man!" Raphael shakes his head.

Spike brings her Taser up. (She had dropped the gun when it ran out of charge.)

Trapped between alien robots and a mutant weed, her best friend and her father kidnapped, and she's fighting with a few mutant turtles.

Not the best way to spend her evening.

All of this, while the helicopter takes off, with Donatello dangling from it.

The fight starts again, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Spike taking on the droids while Raphael fights with Snakeweed.

Spike Tasers a brain and as it falls, she grabs its gun, fitting it to her arm and starts firing, turning her aim towards the head of Snakeweed, careful to avoid hitting Raphael.

Snakeweed appears to like that less than he likes Raphael punching it, or cutting its vines, and with one vine, knocks her, the turtles, and a bunch of alien robots over.

"What's the plan again, Chief?" Raphael asks.

"I'm working on it!" Leonardo shouts. A vine wraps around his leg and lifts. "AHH!"

Spike fires at a few more robots.

Leonardo's voice rings out. "The power conduits!"

"What about 'em?" Spike shouts.

"Are we really going to start talking about that again?" Raphael asks.

Leonardo shakes his head. "Raph! Mikey!" He puts a sword in his mouth and motions a few times.

Raphael and Michelangelo seem to understand, even if Spike doesn't.

She fires at another droid.

The turtles charge at its legs, as Leonardo cuts himself loose.

As Spike fires off another round, she has to wonder how Donatello's rescue is coming.


	7. Chapter 7

As Spike fires off another round of blaster fire at the alien robots and Snakeweed, she has to wonder how Donatello's rescue is coming.

Raphael and Michelangelo move backwards, attracting Snakeweed's attention away from Leonardo and towards the alien robots. The turtles turn towards the alien robots and immediately start making faces to get their attention.

Spike stops firing and give them a weird look as she grasps what's going on.

As the robots start firing, Raphael and Michelangelo quickly dive out of the way, leaving the robots shooting Snakeweed. Spike brings her own gun up and shoots a droid, takes his gun, and fires with two guns in each hand.

Snakeweed backs up towards the power conduits connected to a power generator. Leonardo jumps up on top of the machinery.

Spike notices Donatello come back with a smaller form next to him.

"April!" Spike exclaims.

April doesn't hear her. Donatello is talking, to himself or to April, Spike isn't certain.

Snakeweed turns to face Leonardo.

"Hey, come and get me, Stinkweed!" Leonardo taunts. He thumbs his nose at it with his tongue hanging out, and Spike fights the urge to laugh.

As Snakeweed lunges, Leonardo jumps on top of it, presenting and waving his back end at the alien robots, who start firing. Leonardo dodges the blaster fire, and the shots hit the generator. Spike fires her guns as well.

The generator electrocutes Snakeweed, and then blows up.

Spike winces, and feels something hit her, knocking her out of the way of the flying machinery and plant guts. She looks up, staring into green eyes.

"Why didn't you move?" Raphael grinds out.

"Sorry, Red," she grunts, pushing at him. "Get off."

He looks down at her with confusion.

"You're heavy," she grates, shoving at him again. This time, he rolls off and rises to his feet, offering a hand. She brushes it aside, standing and running after the others.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike sits on the fire escape of April's new apartment, sandwiched between Donatello and Raphael. She folds her arms and searches April's face.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Donatello asks her.

"I guess. My aunt says I can live here as long as I want," April says. She's sitting at her window with her knees drawn up to her chest.

She doesn't look alright. Her face changes and she looks determined.

"But I'll be a lot better when we track down the creeps that took my Dad," April says.

Spike nods.

"I'll help you," Spike promises.

"Won't the police help?" Leonardo asks.

Spike's eyes slide over to him.

"Yeah, we're gonna tell them that alien robots abducted her Dad," Spike deadpans. "They'll take us seriously."

"I hear that," Michelangelo says seriously.

"April," Donatello begins. "I promise you, we will not rest until we find him."

"We won't?" Raphael asks.

"No, we won't," Leonardo elbows his brother.

"Thank you," April says. "But it's not your fight."

Donatello puts a hand on her knee. "Yes, it is."

April smiles, and Donatello blushes, and steps back.

Raphael salutes as he scales the building with his brothers on his way up.

Spike nods as Donatello waves and disappears.

April waves and sighs.

Spike puts a hand on April's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah," April says. "You know you can stay with us too."

"Yeah," Spike nods. She drops down the fire escape and climbs up a few minutes later laden with bags. She hoists them inside. "It'll be interesting, roomie."

"Yeah," April admits. "Yeah it will."

And this is only the start.

**Thanks for reading, people! Please drop a quick review and tell me what you thought!**


	8. Chapter 8

April and Spike are in their shared room.

April has fallen into a fitful sleep on the bed, and Spike lies on the floor, wide awake.

Spike sits up, looking at her friend, sprawled out on the bed.

Spike shakes her head as April frowns in her sleep. Standing, she moves to the other side of the room, where her many bags and boxes lay. She opens a box marked "Dad's Things Box 1"

Lying inside is her Dad's entire collection of old weaponry.

Spike digs through the box, examining daggers and other weapons, until her eyes fall upon a mace. Spike grasps the handle and lifts the heavy weapon, before taking the battle flail next to it. Her eyes light up with a determined fire.

"If I can learn to use these," she mutters. "Combined with my training, I don't think I'll do half bad against these…alien robots."

It was war.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

The next day, April and Spike came home from school, like normal.

School remains the only thing in their life that is normal.

April is walking with her eyes downcast, hands on her backpack straps. Spike has her chin up, looking down the street, hefting her backpack higher up. Inside, along with her schoolbooks, she has pepper spray, a Taser, a flashlight, a weight, and her new weapons. (Spike is paranoid)

They come home late, and it's dark out. (Spike and April both have extra-curricular activities) This only succeeds in making them more jumpy (and the setting more scary.)

As they reach the apartment, April takes out the keys. Spike gives her a quizzical look.

"My aunt is working late tonight," April explains.

She puts the key in the lock and to her surprise; the door opens without her unlocking it. Spike and April stare, and step inside.

The place is ransacked, and standing in the middle of the room are four of the alien robots (with the human forms.).

April's eyes widen. Spike swings the backpack off her shoulders and gets into a defensive stance as the alien robots bring up their guns.

"Oh great!" April cries. Spike charges. "Spike, what are you doing?"

Spike swings the heavy backpack into one of the alien robots. It falls, and Spike unzips the backpack and takes out the mace, swinging the heavy weapon down into its chest. The other robots start firing. Spike grabs the gun from the fallen droid and throws it to April. "Start shooting!"

April holds the gun up and aims, sending a blaster bolt narrowly past Spike's ear. Spike yelps.

"Sorry!"

Spike swings the mace into the head of another robot. Some of the fake skin tears off. Spike swings again, and smashes the mace into its head again.

The head falls off.

The chest rips open and an alien brain wriggles out. Spike brings the mace down on top of it as more blaster bolts fly past.

April shouts. "We did it!"

Spike stands. "Yeah. C'mon, let's get rid of the bodies." She pauses. "That sounded majorly wrong."

As they throw the robots out the window, April turns to Spike.

"Where did you get the mace?"

"From Dad."

"Why?"

Spike motions to the droids and brains. "So I can do that."

"Ah."


	9. Chapter 9

April straightened the bookshelves of the apartment as Spike zoomed through with a broom. Spike's CD player was going, and Spike was nodding to "9 to 5" as she swept up a pile of broken glass.

"Naturally, the alien robots had to invade the apartment," Spike mutters. "Of course."

April sighs. "Why are they going after us?"

"Beats me." Spike dumps some dirt in the garbage. "I got nothing. Yesterday and today have been nightmares."

"Yeah." April looks down, blue eyes darkening.

"Don't worry," Spike puts a hand on her shoulder. "I'll get your Dad back to you if it's the last thing I do."

April smiles slightly. "Just you? You're going to take on the entire alien world?"

Spike shrugs. "Why not. I just might. Let's see," she taps her chin. "We can use melted glass as weaponry at least. Heck, tape knives to brooms," she lifts the broom. "We're all set."

"Abnormal ammo," April comments.

"Double A," Spike agrees. "They'll never see it coming."

April smiles again, a real smile, and nods. She turns back to the bookcase and Spike's amused expression drops. She squeezes April's shoulder and continues sweeping, a dark look in her eyes.

_I won't let April lose her father too._

**_~Where April Goes~_**

The next night as April and Spike make their way home, Spike pauses, and then keeps walking. She turns to April.

"Pretend you're talking to me."

"I am talking to you," April says in confusion. "What's-"

"Shhhh. Don't say anything like that. Talk about school."

"Okay. Uh….I got my grade back on my paper," April says tentatively.

"Good," Spike seems to be listening for something else. "Good. What was it again?"

"It was about elephants…." April shakes her head and whispers. "What's the matter?"

"I hear something…I think something is following us," Spike hisses.

April freezes.

"Keep moving," Spike whispers. April starts walking again. Spike veers off, taking her backpack off, and strides into an alley.

April follows her nervously. Spike raises his backpack warily.

A shape drops down in front of them, and Spike swings the backpack.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

"Ow!" Michelangelo jumps backward, looking hurt.

"Michelangelo?" Spike asks incredulously. Three more shapes drop down next to him. Donatello examines his brother.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Michelangelo says. "But she's nutso paranoid."

Leonardo turns. "I'm sure it was an accident."

"No it wasn't," Raphael argues. "She swung that thing deliberately. We all saw it."

"Cool your jets, Red," Spike snaps. "I didn't know it was him."

April puts a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Calm down, Spike." She turns to the turtles. "Hello. What're you doing here?"

"Making sure you were okay," Leonardo says.

"Yeah." Donatello blushes slightly. "We were worried that the aliens might attack again."

"They did," Spike informs him. "In our apartment."

"Are you girls okay?" Leonardo asks.

"We're fine," Spike assures him.

"Mostly," April argues.

"It's nothing, April," Spike hisses.

April pulls back the sleeve of Spike's shirt to reveal a burn. Spike tugs the sleeve back down. "It's just a graze."

Donatello shakes his head. Raphael crosses his arms. Michelangelo peers at her. "I forgive you for hitting me," he says.

She nods. "Sorry."

"We're here to take you to meet someone," Leonardo says. "Come with us."

So they followed them.

What choice did they have?

**There we go. Another chapter! Thank you, readers, and don't be afraid to write a review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Spike marches along behind April through the sewers. Leonardo is still in front, followed by Raphael.

Donatello is walking next to April, but he's not saying much. Michelangelo bounces along next to Spike, chattering away.

"And that's why I like that comic book series," he finishes. He grins at her. "How do you like the sewers?"

"They're sewers." Spike shrugs. She stuffs her hands into the pockets of her black leather jacket. "What do you want me to say?"

Michelangelo shrugs too. "I dunno. We're almost home," he tells her. "Just a little further."

Spike nods. Michelangelo falls silent beside her. Spike glances over at him. Michelangelo is walking looking at the ground, a slight frown on his face. She sighs.

"So, how old are you?" she asks.

He brightens. "Fifteen! Or at least, it's been fifteen years since I mutated."

"How did that happen?" Spike asks, genuinely interested. He smiles.

"Well, Splinter….the guy you're going to meet," he explains. "He was a human, and he bought us from a pet store. And he was walking, and met a bunch of creepy dudes with a jar of that green stuff. Splinter fought them, and dropped us and the mutagen got us."

He shrugs. "So, here we are."

Spike nods, eyes flashing blue. "That's…weird. But then again, there was that plant-"

"Snakeweed," Michelangelo corrects. "And hey, we're here!"

Spike looks up.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Entering their home was unlike anything Spike had experienced. The television, bean bag chair, couch, doorways, and weapons lying about was odd enough.

What was odder was the giant rat in a robe standing in the middle of the room looking at them appraisingly.

"My sons," he greets. "These are your new friends?"

"Yeah," Michelangelo bubbles. He bounces past a shocked Spike up towards April. "This is April," he says. He pats Spike's shoulder. "This is Spike."

"Spike?" Splinter asks in surprise.

"Yeah," Michelangelo says. "Isn't it great? She has the same name as Raph's pet!"

Raphael folds his arms.

April waves. "Hello."

"This is Master Splinter," Leonardo introduces. "He's like our father, he trained us."

"Nice to meet you," Spike says, shaking herself out of her surprise.

Splinter nods. "The same to you." He waves a paw. "Please, come inside."

Leonardo leads the group into the living area. He motions for April and Spike to sit. April sits carefully on the couch. Spike plunks unceremoniously on the floor. Splinter sits on the other side of the couch. "Are you disturbed by my appearance?"

April shrugs.

"You look a far sight better than those aliens," Spike says.

Michelangelo nods. "So do you," he tells Spike.

"Thanks," she says, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"How did you guys even mutate?" April asks.

Splinter folds his paws in his lap and prepares to tell a story. Spike crosses her legs and settles back for an interesting night.

**There we go. :D Thanks for reading, and please review! They mean a lot.**


	11. Chapter 11

Approximately fifteen minutes later, April blinks at Splinter's incredible tale. Spike shakes her head.

"It's almost unbelievable," April murmurs.

"I've heard weirder," Spike shrugs.

Michelangelo plops next to her. "Like what?"

"Well, there was this nutcase kid in school two or three years back who claimed to be Superman," Spike tells him. "To be honest, he was Super-Crazy."

"Yeah, Superman is older than that," Michelangelo muses.

Spike blinks at him before nodding gravely. "Of course."

Splinter shakes his head. "I am glad your reactions were mild."

April shrugs. "Well, I screamed a couple times."

Michelangelo wraps both arms around Spike's shoulders. "Spike didn't. She just thought she was having a nightmare or something."

"Thanks," Raphael says sarcastically. Spike glares at him.

"Look, I was highly stressed, got it Red?"

"My name," he grates. "Is Raphael."

Donatello waves an arm. "Sorry, he's just grumpy."

"Grumpier than normal," Michelangelo adds. "But we won't let him hurt you."

Spike cracks a slight smile. "I think I can handle Turtlesaurous-Rex."

Donatello laughs and Michelangelo smiles. "Cool dinosaur," he remarks.

Splinter chuckles slightly. "I am relieved that you are not alarmed anymore at our…appearance."

"To be honest, Mr. Splinter," Spike begins. "I find their personalities more alarming than their appearance."

"Hey," Leonardo protests.

April shakes her head. "Sorry about her." She glances at her watch and starts to her feet. "Ooh, we got school tomorrow! We gotta go!"

Spike disentangles herself from Michelangelo's arms and stands. "Oh yeah."

"I'll show you out," Leonardo offers.

"That'd be spectacular," April says.

Leonardo turns and starts walking, April and Spike following. Spike turns and salutes at the group before jogging after April.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike is standing on the balcony of their apartment giving Leonardo the raised eyebrow.

"You didn't have to escort us home," she tells him.

He shrugs. "No trouble."

"Well, thanks, I guess. We didn't really need it though."

"Why the weighted book-bag?" Leonardo asks.

Spike shrugs. "This is New York City. Can't be too careful."

Leonardo turns to go before turning back and shrugging. "Maybe we can show you a few moves one of these days."

Spike's brow wrinkles and she nods slightly. "Maybe. You don't have to. I'll catch you later, Leonardo."

He waves and jumps off and runs into the dark. Spike goes back inside.


	12. Chapter 12

Spike's eyes blink open slowly. She goes to move, but discovers she can't.

She is secured tightly to a desk chair with strong ropes. She's sitting positioned in what looks like an old warehouse, with newer machinery lying about, and the gigantic canister of mutagen in front of her. She frowns.

It'd been a week since the night that she and April had met Master Splinter, and there had been no incident since.

Until now.

Spike closes her eyes.

_What happened?_

Blasterfire. Voices….

Spike's eyes snap open. "Kidnapped by the aliens," she muttered. "Musta been knocked out with a blaster. Fantastic."

And all she could do was sit and wait for a rescue.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike's eyes open again as a robot marches towards her.

Spike groans slightly.

The robot stops.

"Kraang wishes to know that which is the human's identity."

"Kraang? Who's Kraang?" Spike asks warily.

The robot stares. "Kraang are Kraang."

"You're Kraang?"

"The human is that which is known as correct."

Spike shakes her head. "OK, that's really annoying."

The 'Kraang' stares at her blankly.

"Kraang wishes to know that which is the human's identity," it repeated.

"My name? Spike," Spike responds.

"Kraang wishes to know that which is the human's true identity," The Kraang corrects itself.

"That's it," Spike says. "I'm Spike. Hello. Please don't take me to your leader."

Spike is positive that the Kraang would be narrowing it's eyes at her if it could.

_I wonder if they're going to torture me, _Spike wonders absently.

"Kraang wishes to know the location of those known as the turtles," the robot states.

Spike stares. "Uh…..Turtles?" Spike responds, trying to keep her tone surprised. "What do you mean, turtles?"

The robot turns and clunks off.

Spike sits in the chair and waits with more confidence that she feels.

The robot comes back with a long metal pole with two crackling ends.

"Ohhhh boy."

**_~Where April Goes~_**

But he never got to use them.

There was racket further off. More Kraang voices, and a louder, human one.

The Kraang marches off to investigate and Spike heaves a sigh of relief.

She's okay, for now.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike swings her legs and tries to think of a way out of her current predicament. The human voice had not gotten any quieter.

Or any less annoying.

Spike had rolled the chair so she could at least partially see what was going on. A man, sloppily dressed, overweight, and balding, was attempting to bargain with the Kraang.

About a phone, that evidently contained footage of something the Kraang were fighting.

Spike heard the words: "The Turtles."

_Dang it._

She stares as the chair the man is tied to begins to move backwards. _What?_

Then she spots the rope. Her eyes follow it until she sees the very welcome form of Michelangelo.

_Thank goodness,_ she thinks. At least, until the man proceeds to alert the Kraang.

If Spike could have punched him, she would have. But all she could do was sit.

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Blasterfire breaks out. Spike gives a mighty kick and rolls herself further out.

"Yo!" she hollers. "I could use some help?"

Michelangelo turns as Donatello and Leonardo jump out of hiding. "Spike! Watcha doin' here?"

"Being kidnapped," she answers. Michelangelo squints.

"Hold still." Michelangelo whips his nunchuck as a blade slides out.

Spike flinches instinctively as it slices through the ropes. Spike bounds out of the chair and throws herself onto a Kraang droid, driving her fist into the brain and grabbing its gun.

"Not to seem ungrateful," she shouts. "But…aren't you guys short a turtle?"

"Raph's back home!" Michelangelo shouts.

Spike starts firing. "Why?!"

"Uh….I'll explain later," Michelangelo calls.

Spike nods as she puts a blaster bolt into a droid's head. "Okay."

_He better._

**_~Where April Goes~_**

In the fight, the man with the phone had been forgotten.

The phone had been kicked into the shadows, and this idiot went after it. A stray blaster bolt hit the canister of mutagen and they heard a crack, a scream, and then a roar.

Spike stops firing as it goes quiet. She sidles up next to Donatello. "What was that?" she asks quietly.

"Dunno." He shrugs.

A Kraang comes flying out of the shadows. The brain scrambles away.

"I don't like the sound of that," Michelangelo says.

Spike feels the blood drain from her face as another mutant emerges from the darkness.

"Oh shoot."

**_~Where April Goes~_**

It was big, round, with two legs that hardly seemed capable of holding itself up. It was black and red, with many eyes and several legs coming out of the top part of it and it had been human mere minutes ago.

Spike takes a step back in absolute terror.

The thing roars, revealing huge pointed teeth.

"I don't like the look of it either!" Michelangelo shouts. Spike aims the gun again.

"What did you do to me? I'm hideous!" the new mutant cries.

Spike raises an eyebrow. "We didn't touch you."

"Don't worry, guys," Leonardo turns to his brothers. "The four of us can handle it."

Spike nods. "Yeah."

Leonardo gives her an odd look. "I meant us four."

Spike looks behind him. "I see three turtles."

"Okay, this might be a bad time to point this out, but you sent one of the four of us….home," Donatello points out.

Spike stares at Leonardo. "You sent Red home?"

"Yeah! And right now, I wish it was me!" Michelangelo cries.

Spike groans.

"This is your fault!" The mutant sputters. "I'm gonna rip your heads off!"

"That's not polite at all," Spike says, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Alright guys, prepare to dish out the mighty wrath of justice!" Leonardo cries.

Spike cringes.

Donatello sighs. "Seriously, just yell get him."

"Get-" Leonardo is thrown by a spider-like leg and hits a bunch of crates.

Donatello charges the creature, staff held defensively. He leaps high and brings his staff down, but is deflected and thrown skyward.

Michelangelo strikes several times, but does no damage, bouncing away as Leonardo charges it from behind, jumping over it as it spins.

Spike shakes the gun. "Outta juice," she mutters.

"Is that all you got?" Michelangelo shouts.

The mutant responds by spitting a glob of yellow ooze that burns through the floor.

"The answer I was looking for was yes," Michelangelo says.

Spike stares at the hole in the floor and imagines what that could do to a person.

_Focus,_ she reminds herself. _Or this could be your last fight._

**There we go! Thank you for reading, and please tell me what you thought!**


	14. Chapter 14

The mutant spits some more.

Spike, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello frantically dodge acidic globs of yellow saliva and start to run. The mutant runs after them, before turning onto the legs on top of it, and flipping so it stood in front of them, spinning to face them.

Spike freezes.

Leonardo pushes her out of the way as everyone dives for cover as the mutant continues firing its gobs of spit.

"This is so messed up," Spike cries, scooting backward.

Donatello attacks the creature with his bo staff, then moves as Leonardo charges in. Both attacks appear futile as the creature opens its mouth wide to spit again as a barrel comes flying through the air and lands in its mouth.

Michelangelo stands triumphant with another barrel held over his head before hurling that too.

"Nice shot," Spike remarks, getting to her feet.

The barrel bounces off and the mutant spits the barrel out and giving chase, striking with its pointed legs. Spike grabs a hold of one leg as the other three run and yanks. The mutant stumbles. Spike lets go and joins the others.

She runs smack into Donatello as the turtles stop and turn to face their foe. Spike feels the ground give way as an acidic puddle eats through the floor below them, and they fall through a level.

_I'm gonna die._

**_~Where April Goes~_**

"We're no match for Spider-Bytes!" Michelangelo cries as they sit up.

"Spider-Bytes?" Leonardo asks, rubbing his head.

"What?" Spike rubs her knee.

"Well he's a spider, and he bites," Michelangelo explains as they stand. "So I thought-"

"We get it," Leonardo interrupts.

Spider-Bytes jumps down to attack. The group runs in one direction. The mutant blocks their path. Leonardo leads them in the other direction, and the spider stops them again.

"That is one fast bug!" Leonardo remarks.

"Yeah, technically, spiders aren't actually bugs, they-YOW!" Donatello is cut off midsentence as Spider-Bytes grabs him with his legs.

Spike reaches out to grab Donatello's outstretched hand, but misses. She winces as Donatello is sent flying into a crate. Spike searches for something, anything, to use as a weapon.

"You okay, Donatello?" she calls.

He doesn't get a chance to answer, as the mutant spider grabs ahold of Spike and shakes her once, banging her off the ground.

"Ouch," Spike hisses. She kicks at the thing's belly and rolls away.

"Playtime's over, Frogs," the mutant bellows. He spits another glob of acid. The turtles and Spike back against the wall as he advances. Spike squeezes her eyes shut and takes a deep breath when a welcome voice rings out.

"Wow. And I thought this guy couldn't get any uglier!"

"Raph!" Donatello and Michelangelo cry.

Spike's eyes snap open. There is Raphael, standing on the level above them, cocky smirk in place.

She sighs in relief.

Raphael jumps, somersaults, and lands, sais up and ready.

"Well, I think you've been punished long enough, come and join us," Leonardo says.

Spike gives him an incredulous look. "He was grounded?"

"Not exactly," Leonardo tells her. "We'll explain later. Maybe."

"Maybe?" Spike hisses. "For goodness sake-"

"Hey, it's the kung fu frog with the salad tongs!" Spider-Bytes remarks.

"Hey, it's the stupid loudmouth who's about to get his butt kicked," Raphael responds, looking almost bored.

Spike chuckles despite herself.

A glob of acid flies towards Raphael, who dodges just in time.

The turtles and Spike advance. Spike grabs a board off of a crushed crate.

Spider-Bytes spits in a circle around them, acid burning through the floor. Spike's eyes widen as the floor starts to give way. She dives for the edge as the floor falls, taking Michelangelo, Donatello, and Leonardo with it. Spike's fingers catch the edge of the hole. She hisses as the acid aftermath starts to burn her fingers before quickly hauling herself up and rolling forward, blowing at her fingertips.

"Ouch," she mutters with a grimace.

Spike leans over the hole. "Y'all okay?"

"We're fine!" Donatello calls. "As long as we don't fall through again! It's mutagen under here!"

Spike nods. "Can somebody toss my board? I dropped it."

"I'll give you better," Donatello shouts. His bo-staff flies upward and Spike catches it.

"Uh, thanks," Spike says. She turns to face the spider, holding the staff uncertainly.

_I don't know how to use this, and it's an acid spitting mutant. I sure hope I learn fast._

**Thank you readers! Please review! **


	15. Chapter 15

The mutant isn't paying attention to her though. It has its back to her, and is facing Raphael.

"Dance for me, Frog!" Spider-Bytes shouts. It begins spitting its acid as Raphael jumps back. Spike looks at the staff and tries to remember how Donatello does it. She closes her eyes.

"Try jabbing!" Donatello's voice calls up. "If you apply pressure, there's a blade at the one end!"

"Which end?!" Spike fiddles with the staff a few times, muttering insults to herself. "Can't figure out a stupid staff, what are you good for anyway?"

She turns it around and steps towards the mutant.

"Watch me turn your friends into frog fries! I'll serve them up with your salad tongs!" Spider-Bytes says. He turns, as Spike slams the end of Donatello's staff between his many eyes.

She jumps back as the mutant staggers, trying to recover.

Raphael dives in, hurling his body at the mutant's back, knocking it forward. Spike jumps out of the way, clenching the bo staff. The blade reveals itself and slices open the mutant's arm.

Spider-Bytes stands and faces them again, but his attention seems to be focused on Raphael.

"Aw, little froggie thinks he can stop me! Ribbit, ribbit," the mutant taunts.

Spike's eyebrows raise in disbelief. _What an idiot._

As Spider-Bytes starts to ramble, Spike slides into what she hopes looks like a defensive stance with the staff up. She hears Raphael whisper.

"Like a river over stone."

Spike turns slightly. Raphael's eyes are closed as he refocuses.

_The comment was obviously not meant for me._

He smiles, and his green eyes snap open as he goes in for the charge, deflecting the legs and kicking. Spike follows in, jumping and bringing the bladed end of the staff in a broad arc that cuts all of its upper legs, as Raphael gets in four precise punches, then a kick. Spike lands and rolls back into position as Spider-Bytes staggers back.

Spider-Bytes launches his legs towards them, Spike steps back as Raphael turns, grabs one leg between his sais, and waits as the mutant launches a gob of acid at them. Raphael pulls the leg down.

The acid misses, and burns the mutant's own leg. It falls back again, wounded and without any smart remarks.

_Not that any of his remarks were smart in the first place._

"That's some kung-fu, Frog," it says.

_Never mind, one left._

Michelangelo, Donatello, and Leonardo join them. Raphael gives a half smile.

"We're not kung fu frogs, we're ninja turtles," he declares.

"And a grumpy human," Spike mutters.

The turtles charge. Spike shouts. "Donatello! Heads up!" She tosses his staff. Donatello spins, and catches his staff, and flashes a gap-toothed grin.

"Thanks for not breaking it!" he calls.

Leonardo gets a few more slices in its skin as Michelangelo kicks the mutant squarely in the face, sending it flying. Donatello and Raphael jump, pummeling it downward. Spike wanders over.

Raphael stomps on the phone, breaking it instantly.

"No, my phone!" Spider-Bytes cries.

Spike gives Leonardo an incredulous look.

"You guys are gonna regret this," the mutant declares before climbing upward, on its way to escape.

The others pursue it. The chase ends atop the building, where the turtles and Spike watch Spider-Bytes cross the buildings.

Spike sighs. "Well, that went well."

Raphael nods. "Uh-huh."

"I know a nice black widow that'd be great for him," Donatello remarks.

"Good work, Raph. I just wanna say-"

"You don't have to apologize," Raphael cuts him off.

"I wasn't going to," Leonardo says.

"Oh, good," Raphael says.

"Yeah, Raph, not bad for a bloated buffalo," Michelangelo puts in. Raphael glares while Michelangelo laughs.

Spike steps back as Raphael tackles Michelangelo.

Leonardo puts a hand on Spike's shoulder as Raphael carries out Michelangelo's beating. "Nice job."

"With what? I barely did anything. Heck, Donatello lent me the stick-"

"Staff," Donatello interrupts.

Spike shrugs. "Whatever. And I had no idea what to do with it. You guys know what you're doing. I just hit things really hard, and that doesn't work all the time."

Donatello smiles. "Well, hey, that's what Raph does. And who knows, maybe we could help train you or something so you'd be better."

Spike crosses her arms as she thinks. "That sounds like a tempting offer, Donatello. I just may take you boys up on that." She shrugs. "April certainly doesn't think she needs to, someone's gotta be her protection."

Donatello shrugs. "You can. And we're here for protection too, you know." Leonardo pulls Raphael off of Michelangelo.

The turtles turn to leave. Donatello turns. "Oh, and by the way, you can call me Donnie."

Spike waves slightly. "Okay…..Donnie."

Donatello smiles and jumps off the building.

Spike sighs. "I wonder how far away home is from here."


	16. Chapter 16

"Where were you?" April demands.

"Kidnapped by alien robots…Kraang, I think, released by the turtles, and scared by a mutant," Spike collapses onto the floor. "I landed a few hits though. Then I had to walk home."

April stares at her friend. "You saw the turtles?"

"I believe I just said that."

April pats her friend. "You're alright?"

"Yeah. A few scratches, maybe, but I stayed clear of the acid."

"The ACID?"

"Yes." Spike rolls over. "Good NIGHT, April."

April sighs. "Good night, Spike."

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike stares at the phone in her hand.

More accurately, she stares at the text she received from April.

It was one word: "adoxography."

She texts back. _What about it?_

_What does it mean? - A_

_Hang on a sec. – S_

It's the weekend, Saturday night, and Spike is sitting on the swings in a little play area close to their apartment.

Spike looks it up and texts back.

_Beautiful writing on a subject of little or no importance. So poetry. – S_

_LOL – A_

_Why? –S_

_No reason, just saw it in a book in the library. –A_

Spike nods and swings a little.

She sighs and looks up, and frowns.

_Was that something moving?_

She stands and squints.

_Yep._

She grabs for her bag, slings it over her shoulder, and starts climbing up the fire escape.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

"Boo," Spike hisses.

Two turtles jump and spin. "Don't DO that," Leonardo says, pressing a hand over his heart.

"Some ninja you are if you can't handle little old me," Spike says, approaching him. She glances around and nods at Raphael. "You're missing two brothers."

Leonardo nods. "I'm aware." He points to the roof across from them. "We're doing stunts."

Spike crosses her arms and steps back. "Have at it."

Leonardo grins and backs up. He takes a running start, and starts flipping, and flips over the alley, landing on the other building safely, doing a cartwheel to boot.  
>Donatello and Michelangelo greet him.<p>

"Cute, kiddies," Raphael comments. He steps back confidently, cracks his neck, and starts running.

He jumps, clears the gap, and slams into all three of his brothers. Three screams erupt.

All three of them fall over.

Spike chuckles. "Well that was entertaining."

"No fair, you didn't do any flips!" Donatello sits up.

"Oops," Raphael says, with not a single hint of apology in his voice.

Michelangelo waves to Spike. "Hi there!"

Spike waves slightly. "Hey."

"You wanna try?" Michelangelo calls.

"That's not a good idea," Leonardo tells him.

Spike shrugs. "Somebody could get hurt." She nods at them. "I don't have the ninja badge, remember?"

"We don't have badges," Michelangelo says.

"If you want, I'll be over there in a minute, just the old fashioned way."

She swings down the fire escape, before climbing up the other one. She stands and dusts herself off. "Good evening, fellows."

All four freeze. Spike frowns. "Hm?"

"Shhhh," Donatello whispers. He draws his staff. "We heard something."

Spike freezes too. _Fabulous._


	17. Chapter 17

Four turtles draw their weapons and head to the wall.

Spike swings her backpack off of her shoulders and holds it out as the turtles jump around the corner.

A cat meows at them.

Spike sets the bag down in relief. Raphael puts a hand on Leonardo's shoulder.

"Don't give up, Leo. You might actually win _this_ fight!"

Spike rolls her eyes. "Sure. But could you?"

"Ooh," Donatello comments.

Michelangelo pushes past them. "Awww! It's a little kitty!" He picks it up and pats it. He squints at the collar. "And his name is….."

"Mittens!" A voice calls.

Michelangelo shrugs. "Good guess. Wait, who said that?"

Spike points to the building across from them. A man leans out a window. "Mittens?"

"I think that's the owner," Donatello says.

Michelangelo heads to the edge of the building.

"Wait, what're you doing?"

"Hey!"

"Mikey, wait!"

All three of Michelangelo's brothers chime in.

"What? I'm returning Mittens to her owner!"

"Are you an idiot?" Raphael asks. He shakes his head. "Let me rephrase that. You're an idiot!"

"You can't show yourself to a human!" Donatello tells him.

"Why not?" Michelangelo asks.

"Because they'll freak the heck out, that's why not!" Donatello says.

"No they won't. I'm not so scary," Michelangelo says.

"You're an ugly, green, mutant armed with ninja weapons," Raphael points out.

"Look, this guy is gonna see that I'm just a regular cat loving dude like him! Next thing you know, we're gonna be best buds! This is gonna be awesome!"

Michelangelo swings off the roof.

Spike sighs.

They can't hear what exactly is going on, but the guy is shouting loud enough, and the next thing they know, Michelangelo is on the ground.

The other three jump down to join him. Spike glances over the edge of the roof, and starts to climb. A few steps down, and she loses her footing and falls over the side. "Ack!"

She somersaults to a stand and shakes herself off. "That wasn't so bad."

"Someone wanna help me with this?" Michelangelo asks glumly. The cat scratches at his shell and hisses.

"No," his brothers respond.

"Face it, humans will never understand you. Heck, WE don't understand you," Raphael says.

Michelangelo sighs. "Yeah." He glances up at a billboard. "But I bet that guy would!"

"Chris Bradford. The martial arts superstar," Leonardo reads. "With a chain of dojos across the country. He's your soul mate," he deadpans.

Michelangelo spins his nunchucks and strikes a pose. "We have so much in common!"

"What if you stop standing like that?" Donatello asks.

"We'll have a little less in common. But still a lot! And look, he's in town for a martial arts expo! Maybe he'll show me his secret Kata! The Death Dragon! And I'll show him my secret Kata. The Secret Kata!"

"Catchy," Donatello says sarcastically.

"Check it out!" Michelangelo demonstrates a series of half dance moves, half martial arts moves.

Spike raises an eyebrow.

"Don't tell anyone you saw that," he says.

"No problem," Leonardo says.

"Face it Mikey, Chris Bradford is the last person on Earth that would be friends with you. Well, tied for last. With everyone else on Earth."

Spike taps Leonardo's shoulder and points as ropes come down on all sides.

"We've got company."


	18. Chapter 18

Several dark forms jump down around them.

"The League of Shadows?" Spike asks, backing up.

"Ninjas? In New York? Other than us?" Donatello grabs his bo staff. The others grab their weapons too.

The ninjas wore all black, and face masks that completely covered their faces. They had several weapons.

Spike grimaces and unzips her backpack, sliding the mace out. "Please work," she whispers, standing back up.

Leonardo glances at her. "You have a mace?"

"Uh, yeah," Spike holds it up.

A throwing star embeds itself into Donatello's staff. He glances at it then glares upward.

THEN the ninjas charged.

"Ohhhh boy," Spike tenses.

A ninja swings his sword down. Raphael blocks and kicks him away.

Spike swings the mace clumsily into a ninja's gut and watches him fall backward. "Oh….okay."

She hears a crash and spins- and watches Raphael go down.

Michelangelo spins by her, nunchucks flailing.

Spike ducks under a swing of a sword and brings the mace up to block, and gets a slice in the arm for her efforts.

She glances down to assess the damage and is kicked backward.

Raphael gets back up and in.

Spike hauls herself back up beside Leonardo, who is dealing out a massive amount of ninja kick butt very happily. She throws herself into a ninja and joins Donatello, who doesn't really look like he needs help.

"Why are you so happy?" Raphael asks Leonardo grumpily.

"It's just nice to finally be fighting people!" Leonardo explains, slashing away. "Instead of robots, or aliens or weed monsters!"

"Don't forget the spider," Spike reminds him, kicking out at a ninja's kneecap. "This isn't NICE."

As the words leave her mouth, one ninja not like the others lands in front of them.

He's bigger. He has different armor. And he is clearly their leader.

One punch sends Leonardo sailing against the back wall. He kicks Raphael and the turtle rolls to Donatello's feet.

Spike looks around, feeling absolutely doomed as the ninja brings his fist up in a move she has used herself.

The uppercut sends her flying, hitting a wall and sliding to the ground. She checks to make sure her teeth are still there.

_Gotta get a mouth guard._

Donatello jumps over him, but the ninja grabs his bo staff and rips it out of his hands, and knocks him to the ground next to Spike.

Michelangelo extends one of his nunchucks, (Blade out), and the ninja snatches the handle and yanks, dragging the orange masked ninja towards him.

"What are you?" The big ninja asks.

Michelangelo kicks out, freeing himself, and lands on his feet.

The ninja is still holding his nunchuck, and Michelangelo holds the other end. Leonardo slashes the chain, and the turtles regroup as do the other ninja.

Sirens go off, and the other ninja disappear.

Spike drags herself over, rubbing her back. "I suggest getting out of here."

Leonardo nods.

"Come on, guys, let's go."


	19. Chapter 19

Back in the lair, Spike sits next to April on their couch. It's a calm scene, comparatively. Michelangelo and April sit reading magazines, Donatello is on his laptop, and Raphael is doing pushups.

On his sais.

Grasping the pointed end.

"Ohhhh, I wish me and Chris Bradford were friends!" Michelangelo exclaims, staring with wide eyes at his magazine.

"Chris Bradford and I," Spike corrects, rolling back her jacket sleeve to look at the cut she received. She frowns.

Michelangelo ignores her.

Donatello snickers.

Michelangelo bites his magazine several times before leaning back and kicking wildly. Spike wrinkles her nose and dodges his foot. "Ew. Hey, watch where you swing your legs, wouldja?"

April puts down her magazine. "Mikey, you already have a human friend. Two, in fact."

Michelangelo gives her a quizzical look.

"Spike and I," April reminds him.

"Yeah, but you don't count," Michelangelo turns back to his magazine. April frowns slightly. "We saved your life, you have to like us."

"You didn't save mine," Spike mutters.

Michelangelo shrugs. "We helped you escape a couple times."

"I woulda got out by myself if you had given me a minute," Spike says.

"Too bad there's no place for freaks to meet people where no one can see how hideous they are," Raphael grunts out, going through a few more pushups.

Spike shrugs. "As far as mutants that I've seen go, you boys hit the jackpot. You all look okay." She turns. "Right, April?"

April hasn't heard a word. "Wait, there is a place where you can meet people! The internet! Donnie," she turns to face him. "Can I see your laptop?"

"You're not getting him on the internet," Spike protests. Everyone ignores her.

"Ah, uh, sure! Just a sec," Donatello closes something with a nervous smile.

_The same nervous smile he's got whenever April's around, _Spike thinks.

Donatello grins and picks up his computer, moving to sit next to April. He hands the laptop to her and sits down, and begins studying the ground as April types.

"Check it out, it's a site where you can make friends with anybody online!" April tells Michelangelo.

Michelangelo leans over Spike to stare at the little screen.

Spike sighs and scoots onto the floor, glaring at the slight chuckle that escapes Raphael.

"Quiet, or I'll go over there and sit on ya," she warns.

Raphael shrugs and pushes back up again.

Michelangelo slides into the seat Spike just vacated. "Sweet!" He pushes April to the side as he takes the computer and starts typing, before grabbing the top of it and staring intently at the screen.

Spike scoots away from his legs.

Michelangelo gasps. "Chris Bradford's on here! He'll be my first friend!" He goes back to typing. He hits enter and leans forward and stares at the screen again. April and Donatello watch him with slightly concerned faces.

April smiles. "Mikey, people don't always respond immediate-"

There is a chime from the computer.

Donatello and April glance at the computer.

"But sometimes they do," April remarks.

Michelangelo leans back and gasps. He grabs the computer. "NO WAY!" He kicks his legs, driving one foot into Spike's back. She sighs and shuffles forward all the way. "Chris Bradford has accepted my friendship! I have a friend!" He grabs April in a hug, causing Donatello's jaw to drop open. "Thanks, April!"

Michelangelo tosses the laptop into the air and jumps up and starts walking.

"Where are you going-hey!" Donatello dives for his computer.

"To hang out with my _friend_," Michelangelo says. "Chris Bradford." He continues walking.

Donatello settles back down with his laptop, checking it over as April continues talking to Michelangelo.

"This guy's _famous,_ he probably has thousands of 'friends'," April explains.

"And guess who's number five thousand, two hundred, and eighty six!" Michelangelo calls.

"You?" April asks.

"Daniel Ramirez," Michelangelo shouts. "And I'm right next to him! Later!"

And then he's gone.

"Well, this oughta be interesting," April remarks.

"Should we go after him?" Donatello asks.

"Eh, he's gotta learn somehow," Raphael sighs.

Spike stands and runs after Michelangelo. "Hey, you know, if it means that much to you, we can go do something, I mean you don't have to go like this-"

Michelangelo spins. "Maybe later. Bye bye!" He runs off.

Spike rubs her forehead. "This is a disaster."


	20. Chapter 20

Spike trudges back. "I hope he doesn't get killed."

Donatello looks up and nods. "Yeah. I mean, I know he wants friends and all…but…."

"Who knows what other humans might think of him," she finishes.

He spreads his hands. "Exactly."

Leonardo comes back into the living room.

"Where were you?" Spike asks.

"Talking to Splinter," he answers. He looks around. "Where's Mikey?"

Spike blanches.

"Uh….Donnie?"

"He…left?" Donatello says sheepishly.

Leonardo's eyes widen. "Left? Where is he?"

Spike shrugs. "Aiiiiieee…..April?"

April grimaces. "I showed him an online site where he can make friends with humans…."

"And?" Leonardo looks anxious.

"And…..he made 'friends' with Chris Bradford and now he's going to go see him," April finishes.

Spike cringes as Leonardo's eyes grow wide.

"Ohhhhh no," Spike whispers.

Leonardo stares. "You let him go?"

"We couldn't stop him," Donatello says.

Leonardo rubs his head. "I hope he's going to be okay."

"Yeah," Donatello nods. "Me too."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," April says nervously.

Donatello shakes his head. "Mikey'll be fine. He's always fine," he tells April.

Spike frowns. "Donatello, can I talk to you for a quick sec?"

Donatello looks up with some surprise. "Sure, what about?"

Spike grabs his hand, now used to the scaly skin, and drags him to the kitchen, flashing an innocent look at Leonardo, who is now looking at her suspiciously. She spins to face Donatello.

"You got a thing for April?" she asks bluntly.

Donatello freezes. "What?"

"Do you have a thing for April?" she repeats. "A crush or something?"

"I…..I…..don't know what you're talking about," Donatello says nervously.

Spike slaps her forehead. "I've seen that glow in your cheeks, boy."

Donatello raises an eye ridge. "Uh…."

"You blush," she translates. "A lot. Around her. You're doing it right now."

Donatello's hand rises to his cheek. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are," Spike argues. Donatello's shoulders slump.

"I don't know what to do," he whispers.

Spike's face softens and she reaches out tentatively, feeling like she should do something to comfort him. "Now, don't worry."

"How can I not worry?" Donatello raises his head. "I think I have a crush on a human girl."

Spike freezes this time. "You look like a kicked puppy. Please don't…" She waves her arm. "It's the eyes. They're big and brown and sad."

Donatello frowns. "So…what do I do?"

Spike sighs. "Well, I never had a crush on anyone that wasn't human." She frowns. "Can't remember the last guy I did have a crush on. But I know this- try not to take advice from movies, because they are wrong."

Donatello nods.

"Do you genuinely like her, or is it just because she's pretty?" Spike asks.

Donatello shrugs helplessly. "Both."

Spike scratches her head. "I see." She glances up at him. "Try not to be upset. Just…I dunno…try not to be _too _obvious about it, okay?"

He nods. "Okay."

She waves her arms. "Would a relationship between a turtle and a human work anyway?"

"Well, in the mutated form…" he shrugs. "It's plausible?"

Spike nods. "Okay, so there is a chance. Just be your normal self. There is a chance that she could like you too…..or something." She shakes her head. "I suck at trying to cheer people up and give advice. I'm better at giving out sarcastic comments." She sighs. "I just want April to be happy, y'know?"

Donatello nods slowly. "Yeah. Thanks, Spike," he pats her shoulder. "Thanks a lot."

"No problem."


	21. Chapter 21

"Stop pacing."

Spike stops and narrows her eyes at April. She looks up.

"It's making me nervous," April explains.

Spike shrugs. "I still am nervous. He could be dead."

Leonardo looks up from the television and shrugs. "We just wait for him to come back."

Spike stares at the screen for a few seconds and wrinkles her nose. "What is this?"

"Space Heroes," Leonardo announces. "It's a great show."

Spike raises her eyebrows. "Really?"

Leonardo frowns. "Yes."

Spike's forehead wrinkles. "Could've fooled me."

Raphael snorts.

Leonardo turns to face his brother. "It is. Action, adventures in space, and Captain Ryan is great."

Spike's eyebrows pinch together. "Uhhhhhhh."

"A great leader and hero," Leonardo tells her.

She shakes her head. "This may be an opinion, but slapping your team around is _not _a sign of good leadership, or heroism." She continues watching for a moment. "Neither is sending your team into danger needlessly."

He frowns. "What is good leadership?"

"Good leadership…..is…" she scratches her head. "A good example would be…." She snaps her fingers. "Captain James Kirk. Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Captain Benjamin Sisko. Captain Kathryn Janeway….." her voice trails off. "And a good hero…the Doctor, Luke Skywalker….Superman, Steve Rogers."

Donatello nods slowly. "Good examples."

Spike nods briefly. "Thanks." She points. "Just thought of another hero. Godzilla."

Leonardo stares at her. "Godzilla is not a hero."

She stares back. "Of course he is." She waves her arm. "What did you think he was doing in _Invasion of Astro Monster_? _Godzilla: 2000_? _Godzilla VS The Sea Monster_? And so many more. My dear turtle, Godzilla is the biggest hero of them all."

Leonardo opens his mouth and closes it again. He shakes his head. "He destroys cities."

"For the good of mankind," Spike corrects. "He fights monsters and alien monsters. The humans keep provoking him."

Leonardo sighs. "Look-"

"Whaddup, guys!" Michelangelo bounces back into the lair. Everyone spins.

"MIKEY!" everyone shouts.

Leonardo puts a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" Michelangelo brushes his hand off. "I'm more than fine. I'm full on awesome!"

"How did it go?" Donatello asks warily.

"It went mega sweet," Michelangelo crows. "We're best friends!"

Raphael looks dubious. "Really?"

"Totally!" Michelangelo spreads his arms. "We hung out, it was cool!"

"Any strong reactions to the ninja mutant turtle thing?" April asks.

"Eh, a little at first," Michelangelo shrugs.

"What'd he do?" Spike inquires. "Scream, stare-"

"He attacked me," Michelangelo declares. "It was awesome."

"Are you hurt?" Leonardo asks.

"NO, I'm fine!" Michelangelo waves him off.

"Well….that's good." Leonardo crosses his arms. "Because we're going on patrol now, so we needed you unhurt."

Spike stands. "I'm comin' too."

Leonardo points. "Nope."

"Yep," she argues. "I am. And you really cannot tell me to stay behind, 'cause you're not related to me at all or in authority over me."

Leonardo shakes his head. "I'm the leader."

Spike levels her gaze at him. "Good. Lead on."

Leonardo turns and starts walking.

Spike falls into step behind Michelangelo.


	22. Chapter 22

"They must have been watching us from here. The perfect place to stage an ambush," Leonardo remarks.

Spike peers over Donatello's shoulder.

"That wasn't very fair, was it?" Donatello gestures.

"It's not about fairness. It's about victory," Leonardo declares.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Donatello raises his hands.

"We don't want a fair fight," Spike observes. "Ever. Just go Rambo mode all over them."

"And then, Chris Bradford, he put on his hakama. Man, can that guy rock a hakama!" Michelangelo exclaims to a bored and irritated Raphael.

"Well, maybe he'll wear it again when he takes you to the prom," Raphael deadpans.

Spike stifles a laugh.

Michelangelo ignores his brother. "And after that, he-"

"Ah, ENOUGH, you've been goin' on about this for three hours!" Raphael groans.

"It's been three hours already?" Spike frowns.

"At least," Raphael assures her.

"Ooh, someone sounds _jealous_," Michelangelo says. "You just can't admit that you were the 'R' word!"

"Red?" Spike guesses.

Michelangelo shakes his head. "Nope. _Wrong._"

Spike looks confused. "That starts with a W."

Donatello and Leonardo face palm.

"Ha. I'm not wrong," Raphael retorts.

"Oh yeah? If you don't wanna talk about my friend, I got two other brothers who do." He flips backward and wraps his arms around Leonardo and Donatello's shoulders.

"Actually, I'd rather talk about anything else!" Leonardo informs him.

"Like the concept of the silent W, perhaps?" Donatello raises a finger.

Michelangelo frowns and lets go, draping his arm around Spike instead. "You wanna talk about him, right?"

Spike sighs. "Look, Michelangelo, I'm glad you're excited and have a friend," she removes his arm, "But it gets a tiny bit tiresome."

Michelangelo steps back. "Fine. I'll go talk to a guy who likes to talk about Chris Bradford more than anyone else. Chris Bradford." He jumps off the roof.

Spike peers over the edge. "I worry about that boy."

"He'll be fine," Raphael says. "At least it's quieter now."

Spike sits down a few feet away from him. "Oh, like you're quiet?"

"Quieter than him," he shoots back.

Spike nods seriously. "Ultimate ninja, that's you."

Raphael crosses his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm not sure you're that quiet at all," Spike leans back on her hands. "You seem brasher."

"Brasher, eh?"

"And more direct. Doesn't really seem to me like you go in with the slick moves the way say….Leonardo does."

"You sayin' Leo's a better fighter than I am?" Raphael glares.

Spike shakes her head. "Never said that. Don't put words in my mouth. I said that from what I've gathered, you just seem more like a wreckin' crew than a ninja. You're more ninja than I am, that's for sure. I smash things." She shrugs. "Anyway. How old are you?"

Raphael's frown eases. "Fifteen years since our mutation. We just count it as fifteen. You?"

"Huh. Same age as Michelangelo. And I'm just 'bout sixteen."

Raphael's frown disappears. "So…a mace?"

"Yup. More my speed than a stick, wouldn't you say? Sticks break. Maces break bones." She flashes a brief maniacal smile.

Raphael shrugs. "You're crazy."

Leonardo nudges her back. "Come on, we're moving on."

Spike hauls herself to her feet. "Okay."

She glances over the building again.

_Oh, Michelangelo. I hope you're okay._


	23. Chapter 23

Spike raises her hands over her head as the cop's voice calls out. "Halt!"

She stops moving. "Uh, problem, officer?"

"Funny. They all say that." The cop approaches her and peers at her. "Are you aware you're carrying a dangerous weapon?"

"Yes sir," she says seriously. "It's for….self-defense."

He raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Yes, Officer-what's your name?"

"Winston," he answers.

"Officer Winston," she finishes. "It is for self-defense, and I have a license." She whips out the paper with a flourish. "See?"

The cop takes the paper and reads it over before glancing up. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen years and ten months old, sir."

"Name?"

"Sarah Amelia Sanchez, sir," Spike says, with no references to nickname whatsoever.

"Where do you live?" Winston hands back the paper.

Spike recites the address, uncomfortably aware of three shapes on top of the building behind her watching the scene play out.

The cop nods. "Alright. Just don't hurt anybody with that thing."

"Unless they hurt me first," Spike points out. "Then I can hit them."

"Why a mace?" Winston asks.

She shrugs. "Ran out of pepper spray."

She waves and continues down the street, before turning a corner, ducking into an alley and scaling the fire escape.

Donatello greets her. "Did the license work?"

"Yes, thanks for pulling it together." she dusts herself off.

Leonardo shakes his head "Told you the buildings were safer."

She glowers. "Don't want to hear it right now."

Donatello chuckles. "Stick with us. We won't let you fall off a building."

"Nah," Raphael shakes his head. "We'll push you off."

"Gee, you're the best, I can count on you to keep me safe," Spike says sarcastically. "Are we gonna stop soon?"

"Yeah, we got a building for stakeout a few blocks away," Leonardo informs her. "Come on, slowpoke."

Spike shoots him a dirty look. "Sorry."

"What, your dad didn't run you through endless ninja drills?" Donatello teases.

Spike's frown fades to a blank look and her eyes drop. "Never got to." She shrugs. "He's dead," she says flatly.

Donatello's smile drops. "Oh…oh no. I'm sorry," he says. He steps forward and puts a hand on her shoulder. "No more jokes about family, I promise."

"S'okay," she says, looking back up. "You didn't know."

Donatello smiles slightly. "Okay."

"So, forget it, Donatello."

"Donnie," he corrects.

She nods. "Donnie-tello," she says with a straight face.

He shakes his head and peer forward. "Can you make about ten more buildings?"

"Can elephants walk?" Spike asks. "Course I can. Just give me a bit."

Three turtles leap to the next building as Spike sighs and takes a running start.


	24. Chapter 24

Spike glares at something in her notebook and starts scribbling all over what she's written, holding a flashlight in her other hand. "Grrrr."

"What's that?" Donatello sits and leans over her shoulder.

"Math homework," she explains dismally. "Worst thing ever."

"I doubt that," he remarks. "You've seen worse, aliens and mutants and things."

"It does not compare to the horror that is trigonometry," she explains.

Donatello shakes his head. "Not that bad."

"Yes it is," she argues. "Here." She shoves the book in his lap. "Look at that."

He glances it over. "Easy."

Spike glares at him. "Bologna."

He shrugs. "Yes it is. Can I borrow the pencil and the notebook?"

Spike passes them to him with interest.

He scratches down figures and explanations and a few minutes later hands the page back.

Spike stares at it. "Tutor me."

"If you want, sure." He smiles.

"Gotta get organized for the school year," she groans. "I hate high school. I'm gonna take you with me, how's that sound?"

He shakes his head. "Don't think that'd work."

"Maybe I can fit you into my book bag. How are ya at contorting?"

He shoves her shoulder. "Stop."

"I'm kiddin'." She stares out over New York. "Never seen it from this angle."

"Hm?"

"New York. Anything." She waves her arm. "What was it, a few weeks ago, I had no inkling that aliens or mutants exist. Now here I am, sitting with a mutant, on the lookout for aliens."

"And other ninja," he reminds her.

"Can't forget them," she replies solemnly.

"How's your arm?" he asks suddenly.

"Huh? Oh." She raises her arm and pushes the sleeve of her jacket back and glances at the long cut. "It's better. Startin' to scab over, see?"

Donatello shakes his head. "I think you're weird, you know."

"Says the teenage mutant ninja turtle," she retorts.

"No, I'm serious," he says. "You're willing to put yourself in this danger? Why?"

Spike scratches her head. "Well, as for the why part, it's a lot more interesting then hanging out at the mall. I get to help you guys help the world. And the danger….." She sighs. "You're in danger getting in the shower, or crossing the street. Getting in a car. Eating. _Living._" She looks up at the dark sky. "I want to _live._ And if I die, I want to die doing something worthwhile. Being shot through by a Kraang blaster is a lot cooler than choking on my toast."

She glances at him. "Understand?"

Donatello nods. "I think I do." He glances up. Leonardo approaches them.

"It's getting time to head back," he informs them. "I hope Mikey's home."

"Not like you guys have curfew," Spike points out. She stands. "And I gotta pick up April. C'mon."


	25. Chapter 25

April's computer blings.

"What's blinging?" Spike frowns.

April switches sites. "It's…..Mikey."

"Mikey's blinging."

"No, Mikey's sent me a message….oh." April leans back. "It's from Leo. '_Bradford's pretending to be Mikey's friend, actually works for the Shredder. We think he might be in trouble._'." She slaps her forehead. "I should never have let him get on that site!" She turns. "Spike?"

The door slams shut in answer.

April groans and sends a message back. _Hang on, Spike's coming._

Bling.

_What? Why? – Leo_

_She likes getting herself into trouble? IDK – April_

_Ugh, she might get hurt. –Leo_

_She was in the last fight, right? – April_

_Yeah, but I don't like making a habit of getting her in trouble. Or you. – Leo_

_Spike will do what Spike will do. She's great at getting herself in and out of scrapes, and me too. She's a mother hen. – April_

_I can't see that. Hang on, she's here. That was fast. TTYL – Leo_

April sighs and closes the website.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

"What are you _doing_ here?!" Raphael explodes.

Spike pushes on his plastron to move him out of the way. "Helping you."

"We don't need help," he argues.

Spike shoots him a glare. "April and I got him on that stupid site in the first place. I'm helping."

Donatello glances at her worriedly. "You could get hurt."

"I've been in fights before." She shrugs. "Not dead yet, am I?"

Leonardo shakes his head. "You are determined to get yourself killed."

"No. I'm determined to help." She grasps her mace. "I'm gonna help."

"You aren't trained for this type of thing," Donatello reminds her.

She shrugs. "I've been taking fighting sports."

"That isn't training for something like this," Leonardo explains.

"My son is right," Splinter remarks, entering the room. "You have bravery in your heart, but not as much skill in your body."

She turns and inclines her head in respect. "Master Splinter."

He nods. "Sarah."

She shakes her head.

He puts a paw on her shoulder. "I understand you want to help, but you just aren't prepared for this. Any of this. The fights against the mutants and aliens, not to mention against the Foot Clan, are probably too much for you. You'd need training for this specifically."

Spike nods and frowns before glancing up. "Then train me."

He raises an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"Train me," she says earnestly. "If you're concerned about my safety, then please, train me. I don't know what I'd offer in return, but anything you need I'll help with. I swear, I want to do this. I haven't wanted to do something so much since boxing."

Splinter strokes his beard. "And what would you do with the skills you'd acquire?"

"Protect people," she says seriously. "Stop threats. Do something meaningful with my life."

Splinter smiles slightly. "I see." He turns slightly. "It would be difficult."

Spike nods.

Splinter turns to face her again. "Very well. If you think you can do it," he turns. "Training starts tomorrow afternoon."

Spike's eyes widen and she bows slightly. "Thank you, Sensei," she says, trying out the word. She smiles slightly. Splinter pats her shoulder gently and leaves.

Spike turns to the turtles, whose mouths are hanging open.

"Let's go save Michelangelo," she says.


	26. Chapter 26

"We're in," Donatello says cheerfully. Spike lands next to him.

"You guys are fast," she remarks. Donatello sticks his hand through a hole in the glass roof and unlocks the panel.

"Well, yeah. Not all turtles are slow," he grins nervously.

He opens the panel and ushers them through.

Spike hangs onto Leonardo's rope, feeling much less cool than he looks.

There was Michelangelo, tied up in the dark, with ninja surrounding him.

He looks pitiful.

_Poor kid,_ Spike shakes her head.

Leonardo taps her ankle and drops silently. Spike shimmies down the rest of the rope and slides to the ground.

She draws her mace and holds it in front of her.

Donatello breezes by her and she sees the ninjas start dropping.

Spike follows Leonardo. She feels cloth brush her arm and she swings the mace reflexively and winces when she hears a crack.

_Oh jeez._

She turns back to face a room full of unconscious ninja.

"Rats."

"Dudes! That was sporadic!" Michelangelo shouts.

"Shhhhh!" Raphael and Leonardo hiss.

"That's not what that means!" Donatello whispers.

Michelangelo glances up at Spike. "You brought her?"

Spike kneels down. "I brought myself," she explains, pulling her dagger out. "Hold still."

Michelangelo's arms and legs fly back to their normal positions.

His arm smacks Spike upside the head.

"Yow!" she yelps quietly.

Leonardo pats his youngest brother and helps him stand.

"Let's get out of here," he declares.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

Spike follows them into the sewer quietly, sneaking looks behind her uneasily.

"It's a trap," Leonardo had said reassuringly. "Don't worry. We have this under control. Just stay out of the way."

She ducks into a tunnel with Michelangelo and waits for Chris Bradford and an unfamiliar dark skinned man to drop into the sewer, followed by many of the ninjas.

As the group moves forward, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo each take out a ninja, leaving a few more.

Within minutes, only Bradford and the strange man are left.

Spike watches from the shadows as the two remaining villains glance around, realizing what has happened.

The stranger lights a flare and holds it up, illuminating the helpless ninja dangling limply from the ceiling of the sewer.

"Show your faces!" he shouts.

_Brazilian accent? Or something? _Spike frowns

Leonardo and Raphael rise from the sewage water, weapons drawn. On their other side, Donatello and Michelangelo step out of the shadows.

"They've trapped us!" The man cries, turning to face the two younger turtles.

"Take them down!" Bradford roars, diving for the elder two.

Chaos breaks loose.


	27. Chapter 27

Bradford throws Raphael into Leonardo, pushing them back.

The stranger spins, on his hands, kicking out at Donatello before wrapping his legs around his neck and flipping, tossing him into Michelangelo.

He stands back up again, chuckling slightly.

Raphael goes sailing on the other side of the chamber.

Spike stands, gripping the handle of her mace uncertainly. She glances down at it, then glances up as Bradford kicks Leonardo into Raphael.

Donatello snaps, and Raphael gives him a thumbs up.

They stand. Leonardo and Raphael rush Bradford, then spin, running towards the water in the middle.

Donatello and Michelangelo do the same to their foe.

Spike steps forward slightly, into the light as the turtles switch off villains.

Now Donatello and Michelangelo take on Bradford, while Leonardo and Raphael face off against the unknown baddie.

Spike considers and joins the younger two as Donatello takes Bradford's legs out from under him while Michelangelo keeps his arms busy.

"What are you doing?" Donatello cries.

"Coming to see if I could help," Spike explains. She kicks Bradford in the back. "That's for trickin' Mikey, you sonofagun."

She drives her elbow into his shoulder. "That's for tying him up."

He stands and grabs her around the throat.

_Current chokehold, strong enough to put me out in 10 seconds,_ Spike calculates.

_10_

_9_

_8_

Michelangelo jumps on his arm.

Spike drops to the floor and sucks in air. "Thanks man. Knew I was getting' cliché."

Michelangelo flashes her a grin. "No problem."

Michelangelo pushes him back now, so he is back to back with his buddy, who Raphael has cornered.

"They knew we were following them!" Bradford cries.

"That's right," Michelangelo replies.

Spike joins Donatello and Leonardo at the pump. "Sorry for being a useless tagalong sidekick."

"Hit it!" Michelangelo cries, kicking Bradford into his pal.

Leonardo and Donatello turn the rusty wheel. Spike frowns. "Is that-"

Bradford and his cohort are swept away by a wave of raw sewage.

"That didn't seem very fair," Raphael grins.

Donatello and Leonardo join him. "No it wasn't," Leonardo smiles.

**_~Where April Goes~_**

"Leonardo?"

Leonardo turns to face Spike. "Yeah?"

She glances downward. "Sorry I couldn't be more help."

He shrugs. They're on the way back to the lair and Spike hasn't said a word until now. "You're not really qualified to be doing this stuff."

"I guess I let my black belt go to my head, huh?" Spike asks. "Pretty dumb of me."

Leonardo smiles. "You tried. You have guts."

"Guts don't win fights," Spike explains. "Skills do. That's why I asked for training. I can't hang around you guys and do nothing. April may be more comfortable with that, but you're out there risking your lives for the human race. I feel like a scum bucket if I just sat by."

"You're not a scum bucket. And, if you stick with it, one day maybe you'll be as good as us." He frowns. "That sounded conceited."

She waves a hand. "I know what you mean. And I swear, I'll stick with it. Maybe in ten years I'll be able to beat you," she says lightly.

"Sure," Leonardo says good naturedly. "That's the day I grow another arm, right?" He glances at her. "But believe me, Spike, you're not useless. You've been a help before. One mission where you weren't as great is not enough to make you worse. You can't be stellar all the time. No one can."

She nods. "Did you practice that or just made it up right there?"

"I do a lot of listening to Splinter," he admits.

"You sounded a bit like him."

"Thank you," he says genuinely.

"You're welcome…Captain."


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you, 13darkjem and Silversun XD for reviewing! Also, I have listened to your words, and I promise you that changes are coming, in April and Spike's relationship, and in the overall story, so please hang on and bear with me while I feel my way through this. I will strive to improve.**

"Um, Sensei, aren't you hungry?" Donatello asks.

Splinter remains sitting, stroking his beard as his sons devour a pizza.

"I fear we are celebrating too soon," Splinter says gravely.

"Too soon? The bad guys were swept away in a river of raw sewage. By my watch, that makes it perfect timing," Raphael comments.

"Shredder knows I'm alive. Worse, he knows about all of you. It's my worst nightmare come true," Splinter explains.

"So it's not over?" Leonardo asks.

"Oh no. It's just beginning," Splinter says. His sons glance at each other, hopeful thoughts dashed.

Spike sits on the steps entering their lair, watching Michelangelo stare sadly at his computer. Raphael gets up and approaches him.

Spike stands, sensing the serious conversation to follow, and goes to Splinter.

"Sensei, I have a question."

He turns. "What is it, child?"

She sighs. "Do you think I can get as good as they can?"

Splinter raises an eyebrow. "They?"

"Your sons."

Splinter looks at her. "Do you want to be as good?"

"Well, yes."

"Are you willing to work to be as good?"

Spike nods. "I….Yeah."

"Are you aware it will be hard work?"

"I'm used to hard work," Spike tells him. "I suspect this will just be at the top of the list."

"You want to protect others, and do good," Splinter remarks. "You admire my sons?"

"Well…." Spike glances at the group. Leonardo and Donatello talk over the battle while eating, Raphael puts his hand on Michelangelo's shell and pats it. "Yes. Yes, I admire them. Not just skills, either, Sensei. Their personalities, I see, still need a lot of work, but I see promise." She glances up at him. "Leonardo's gonna be like you. I can see that already."

Splinter chuckles. "Oh?"

"He's already about honor and duty, and he'll be a great leader one day," Spike muses. "Raphael…has a temper…"

"I noticed," Splinter says dryly.

"But he also cares about his brothers, even if he picks on them a lot," Spike comments. "Donatello's brilliant, and kind, even if sometimes his head is in the clouds."

"And what are your thoughts about Michelangelo?" Splinter inquires.

"He's…bouncy," Spike admits. "He's got a big heart, and he's so trusting….he reminds me of a golden retriever. He's like Lily a little…." Her voice trails off.

"Lily?" Splinter asks softly.

"Lily was my youngest sister," Spike explains quietly.

"You don't have to continue," Splinter assures her.

"I know. Sometimes I'm afraid I'll forget her. Forget all of them." She glances at him. "You at least have family now."

"And you can too, child." Splinter's brown eyes shine at her. "You can too."


	29. Chapter 29

Spike hits the floor the second Michelangelo gets to the chorus of "Another One Bites the Dust."

Leonardo plants his knee in the small of her back. "You yield?"

Spike spits dirt out. "Uh…." Her mind runs through different scenarios.

"There is no shame in losing," he reminds her, leaning down.

She thrashes once, but with him holding her arms down, there isn't much she can do except wiggle.

She sighs heavily as an idea strikes her. She heaves her bodyweight in a desperate roll to the right, knocking Leonardo off balance, and off her.

Leonardo's hand shoots forward, closing in in a choke hold.

Spike rolls her eyes. "Fine, I give."

"You tried," Donatello offers from the sidelines.

"Sure. Tried," Spike remarks, standing up. "Didn't succeed."

"Well, that's the beginning. You'll get better," Leonardo assures her.

Spike shakes her head.

"The failures count too," Splinter remarks. "It was odd enough that you accepted a sparring bout already."

Spike frowns. "I was tryin' to see exactly how much work I need."

"And?" Splinter asks, amused.

"I need a lot," Spike declares, brushing her pants off. "Lots of work."

Donatello shrugs. "At least you're not hurt, right?"

"Wrong. My pride has been stabbed," Spike corrects.

He chuckles.

"Does April even know you're here?" Michelangelo asks.

"Uh." Spike shrugs. "No. She thinks I'm out exercising."

"She's not wrong," Michelangelo points out.

"So she doesn't know you're training?" Leonardo asks.

"April thinks that the more time I spend with you, the more likely I'd get hurt," she explains.

"She might be right. You like gettin' pounded?" Raphael asks.

"Pounded for the sake of adventure? Sure." She spreads her arms. "If you are fighting evil ninja and aliens, I want in, no matter what."

Raphael raises an eye ridge. "Even if your arm gets ripped off?"

"Would you?" she shoots back. "I'm ten percent luck, twenty percent skill, fifteen percent concentrated power of will, five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain, and one hundred percent reason to remember the name."

"Hey, I remember that," Michelangelo remarks.

"Yeah, it's a favorite quote. I got stats to meet," she explains. She turns to Splinter. "So, I'm really sorry for my idiotic notion that I would not get my rear handed to me, and I am ready to eat my pride whole and start from the beginning."

Splinter chuckles. "You have an interesting way of speaking."

"Thank you," she says seriously.

He holds out his hand. "Let's begin."


End file.
